Preliminary Report (September 2001)


  • The weather was basically fine in the morning at Phnom Penh. But, in the late afternoon and in the evening we often had severe rainfalls. Some roads became a river.

  • (Left) Several minutes before it starts raining (at DOM). (Right) It rains (in Phnom Penh).

  • The Tonle Sap river at Phnom Penh. Note that "Tonle" means river. (Right) One of the most beautiful streets in Phnom Penh along the river.

  • Rainbow over the Tonle Sap river at Phnom Penh.

  • Ms. Vannareth Seth, the director of Department of Meteorology (DOM), Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MWRM).

  • Weather forecasting processes at DOM.

  • Seminar at DOM.

  • The synoptic weather station at Kompong Som (Sihanoukville). It faces on the Gulf of Thailand. We had rainfalls in the morning there.

  • The chief of the provincial office of MWRM told us that they really need to make a local weather forcast because fishermen often meet with weather accidents at sea. But, at present they do not know how to do it.

  • Voyage from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. You can choose the seat either inside or at the top of the boat. We chose the latter, of course.

  • The Tonle Sap river was quiet.

  • At Kompong Chhnang some passangers and baggages came by a small boat and got aboard in the middle of the river.

  • The great lake, Tonle Sap, was like an ocean.

  • We finally arrived at the port near Phnom Krom, a landmark hill of Siem Reap. This unforgettable journey took five hours and a half.

  • Flight from Siem Reap back to Phnom Penh. (Left) The West Baray, (center) Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, and (right) the East Baray (right).

  • Rivers can be distinguished by lines of trees. But, the rest of the surface was also flooded. This is the flood of the Mekong river. Note this is a normal condition at this time of the year.

  • Several minutes before the landing. You can see the Japanese bridge (Chruoy Changvar Bridge) over the Tonle Sap River (right).

  • The photographer.


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    Masatomo Fujiwara
    Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Japan